Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1

Since the establishment of The Junior School, music has played an important and unique part in the school’s identity. Every child in our school is involved in musical activities through lessons and afterschool activities. During the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, our well-structured programme of music education follow the guidelines of the UK National Curriculum, as well as elements of Kodaly and Dalcroze teaching methods. Teaching is delivered through weekly class lessons by Mrs. Olga Nearchou, the KS1 music specialist. These lessons are conducted in the music room, which has age-appropriate equipment and resources, making it a fun, inspiring and enjoyable environment for music development to take place.

Assemblies and Performances

The Music Department works closely with the class teachers as well as with teaching assistants throughout the year in preparation for several events. During the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, all children take part in assemblies and performances where singing, dancing, acting and performing have an important role. All these events occur in our school hall.

Throughout the year our school has regular assemblies, for which the children learn songs, often topic-related, and have the opportunity to perform for their teachers and classmates.

The Music Department organises many different Christmas performances, ensuring that all children are involved. Pre-Reception and Reception classes each present their own Christmas sing-a-long concert. Year 1 and Year 2 classes, perform four plays or musicals.

Curriculum

In the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, our students have fun learning music through movement, playing instruments, singing songs from around the world and learning about music from different periods and genres. The Junior School students enjoy music lessons with a balance of listening, composing, performing and appraising.

Students in Year 1 and Year 2 also have the opportunity to take part in afterschool music activities.

Foundation Stage

Music is taught weekly in Pre-Reception (30 minutes) and Reception (40 minutes) in the Music Room. In Pre-Reception and Reception our curriculum includes:

Music and Movement

Whole-class singing in unison, including action songs

Un-tuned/tuned percussion instruments

Rhythmic and listening games

Introduction to basic rhythm notation

The activities that take place during the Foundation Stage are divided into units that correspond with the six focused areas of learning of the QCA Curriculum Guidance, which are:

Personal, social and emotional development

Communication, language and literacy

Mathematical development

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Physical development

Creative development

Each of these units features one of the elements of music, including:

Beat and tempo

High and low

Structure

Texture

Loud and soft

Timbre

Key Stage 1

Music is taught weekly (40 minutes) in the Music Room. In Year 1 and Year 2 our students develop the ability to:

Sing alone or in small groups in unison, two parts or rounds and focus on posture, breathing and voice production

Play class tuned/un-tuned percussion instruments

Read basic rhythmic and pitch music notation

Identify and change different sounds as well as use sounds expressively

Discriminate between longer and shorter sounds and use them to create sequences of sound

Recognize the difference between pulse and rhythm and perform with a sense of pulse